Understanding The Bible

Scripture
(2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Each verse of Scripture has only one intended meaning even though there may be many applications.

The Bible isn’t written to mean different things to different people.

Inductive Bible Study

1. Observation answers the question, What does it say?
   Reveal Answer
2. Interpretation answers the question, What does it mean?
   Reveal Answer
3. Application answers the questions, What does it mean to me?
   Reveal Answer

Observation

Before we consider what a text means, we must ask what it says.

Think like a detective!

Let’s define observation from an Inductive Bible Study paradigm: This is observation, discovering all that can be found.

1. Who? Who was writing? To whom was the message originally written? Who are the people involved in the scenario?
2. What? What’s happening? What’s said? Is it a command, an exhortation, a rebuke, a question, an answer, a prayer, a quotation of other Scripture, something else? What’s the main point? What key words or phrases are used? What’ the context?
3. When? Are there time references? Are there words related to the past, present, or future? Look for words like, after, until, then.
4. Where? Are there locations mentioned - towns, roads, rivers, mountains, regions, or other landmarks?
5. Why? Are there any clues about why things are being said or done?
6. How? Is there an explanatoin about how things are done?

These six questions help us gain information to see what a text actually says.

Interpretation

The paramount interpretation question is, “What did God mean by what He said?”

Scripture
(2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

“If the plain sense makes good sense, seek no other sense or it will result in nonsense.” - David Cooper, Founder of the Biblical Research Society

1. The literal principle.
   

2. The historical principle.
   

3. The contextual principle.
   

4. The compatability principle.
   

5. The grammatical principle.
   

6. The Christological principle.
   

Application